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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. deal — to handle
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. toast — bread
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bat — the animal
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bark — to shout
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fine — high quality
  24. toast — a drink to someone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com